Seattle Animal Shelter news and events

Free Foster-Cat Orientation at Seattle Animal Shelter Sept. 4, 2010

Learn how to be a foster “parent” for sick or immature cats and kittens

SEATTLE — If you’re interested in becoming a foster “parent” for sick or immature cats and kittens from the Seattle Animal Shelter, plan to attend a free orientation session, offered the first Saturday of each month – this month on Sept. 4 – from noon to 1 p.m.. The session will be held in the shelter’s conference room located on the shelter’s upper level at 2061 15th Ave. W.

Those who attend an orientation session are under no obligation to foster an animal. The orientations are just the first step in the process. Each prospective foster parent is provided with a foster-care manual and a “consultant” who provides advice and answers questions.

The Seattle Animal Shelter relies on volunteers to provide temporary foster care in their homes to rehabilitate and nurture sick, injured and immature cats and kittens that would otherwise be euthanized. The shelter pays for preapproved veterinary care.

“Volunteers have told us this is a perfect project for the whole family and provides an opportunity for children to learn about the joys and responsibilities of having an animal without making a long-term commitment,” Jordan says. “The ultimate beneficiaries are the pets who are nurtured by their foster families, and the families who adopt them. The rewards and satisfaction are high for everyone involved.”

Jordan says the foster care program is quite simple. You provide food and a temporary home; the Seattle Animal Shelter will provide any necessary veterinary care. The shelter’s “Help the Animals Fund” subsidizes the costs associated with the foster care program. This is another effort by the Seattle Animal Shelter to increase the number of adoptions each year.